SC refuses to entertain plea against post-poll alliances

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea opposing the practice of political parties forging post-poll alliances to gain power on the ground that electors were kept in the dark about it when they exercise their franchise.

"The courts cannot go into it. We cannot entertain this," a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy said while dismissing an appeal filed against Delhi High Court's decision refusing to entertain the PIL on the issue.

Assailing the High Court's decision, lawyer Mithilesh Kumar Pandey said even the Law Commission has deprecated the practice of forging post-poll alliances on the ground that the electors are misled as they are not privy to it.

The plea, earlier rejected by the High Court, has challenged the 'validity of post-poll alliances among political parties' on the ground that the same was a 'breach of the promises made by them during the election campaigns'.

It also said that promises made in the manifesto have to be enforced as otherwise it would amount to breach of trust. The PIL had also sought a direction 'declaring as unconstitutional the practice of post-poll alliances among parties which contested elections against each other'.